Daim reads Anwar's mind well

 
• Tun Daim Zainuddin seldom speaks or writes for media for the past few years. But when Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim attacked him left and right lately for political reasons, Daim's raised his eyebrows and wrote small piece of Q&A to media (NST) to explain about Anwar's fascination with him as a political topic.
• Question: Why is Anwar attacking you in his ceramah?
• Answer: I don't know, I'm not obsessed with him, I have no interest in what he's up to, but the media, every time you see me, you will always ask about him. He is obsessed with me. Maybe he thinks I know too much about him. He finds me a convenient target as I'm not on the ceramah circuit to rebut his nonsense. I'm told he says that Dr M (former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad) and I are scared of PKR winning in Kajang. That's his platform? Let's frighten a few old retirees and vote for PKR because that's going to scare these two old folks? Think about it, what is their platform?
• First, because Anwar is Churchill to stop the Barisan Nasional onslaught. Then, Anwar is needed to save Selangor from what happened in Perak (with 12 seats in a 50-plus-seat assembly?). Then BN is scared of the cooperation between Pakatan parties if Anwar wins. Then Kajang is necessary for the road to Putrajaya. Then the court found him guilty because he would have won in Kajang, and then etc, etc, etc. Every day is another justification for an unnecessary and pointless by-election.
• Question: PKR had also alleged that you and Khalid (Selangor Menteri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim) had made a deal concerning Khalid's out-of-court settlement with regards to the latter's case with Bank Islam.
• Answer: Let's put this in context. No adun (state assemblyman) is ill, dead or convicted. This Kajang move is to solve an internal party problem. (PKR deputy president Azmin Ali) Azmin wants to be menteri besar, Khalid does not want to go, so Anwar steps in and offers himself -- shows the shallowness of his leadership, not to resolve the issue internally but to take an egoistical solution that involves the public and public funds. The biggest loser here is Azmin. If Anwar had won, it was either Anwar or Khalid who would have been menteri besar, not Azmin. Now that it's (Datin Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail) Wan Azizah, it still will not be Azmin. Poor Azmin, all those years of loyalty... but it's typical Anwar -- all solutions lead to him. And if it's not him, then his proxy Wan Azizah steps in.
• In attacking Khalid, they found that it has backfired, so the only thing left is to discredit Khalid's integrity. So they bring in Anwar's favourite bogeyman -- me.
• I have not seen or spoken to either Khalid or (Tan Sri) Rashid Manaf (an ex-lawyer and corporate personality) for over 20 years nor do I know anyone in Bank Islam. This was totally orchestrated by Pakatan. They can spin it any which way but, in the end, it is still about PKR's internal problems, whether about the menteri besar's post or Anwar's impending court case at the time of the move.
• Question: What do you think of this by-election?
• Answer: Every reason given for the Kajang move has been debunked, so now they are going on the Court of Appeal's verdict. But the case was much earlier than the "move" and it seems quite a coincidence to hold the Kajang move during the dates that were set earlier. It's to distract people from the case, obviously. In this by-election, the circus has come to town. It's a party issue and if it's me, I would not participate in this circus and dance to every tune that he plays. If he wants to syok sendiri (self-glorification), let him lah, but that is just my own opinion.
• Question: So you think it's a mistake for BN to stand?
• Answer: Before this, Pas did not agree and DAP has been silent on this issue. With BN's participation, they have no choice but to support Anwar, and now Wan Azizah, and bring unity to Pakatan.
• The irony here is that DAP has always accused MCA and Gerakan of dancing to Umno's tune. And here, what are they doing? When Anwar makes a decision, they fall in line.
• Question: Will Wan Azizah win? Will Anwar's guilty verdict make a difference?
• Answer: Let me put it this way, Anwar would never have stood in any place unless he was sure that he would win and win big. Now Wan Azizah is going for the sympathy vote, and I don't see anything much has changed since the last election to make Kajang voters change their mind. It's only a question of the majority.
• As for Anwar, those who believe in him, believe he can do no wrong and that he can walk on water, and those who don't, won't.
• But there is another group of people, the liberal middle class, who are not blind to Anwar's faults and weaknesses, but still think that regardless, they need to have him there because of their dislike for this government.
• They want change and if he is the one to do it, so be it. They use him; he uses them -- a real symbiotic relationship. Morality does not matter to them.
• But morality is important in a leader. Tell me, was (former US president) Bill Clinton the only man in America who committed adultery? Was Elliot, what's his name, the US A-G (Elliot Spitzer, the former New York governor and attorney-general) the only man in America who visited prostitutes? So why were they taken to account? Because we demand more from our leaders. That is why it is said that if you want to be a leader, there must be sacrifices.
• You are not the man in the street. You are a leader and you have to lead by a strong moral code of conduct. Look at Italy under (former prime minister Silvio) Berlusconi; it was a joke.
• Question: What do you think of the MoU on Langat 2 (water treatment plant)?
• Answer: I think it's good and good for the people of Selangor. It was the right thing to do and the MB was brave to do it. PKR wanted to haul him up to explain to Anwar. I don't think I have heard that when (Penang Chief Minister Lim) Guan Eng does something in Penang, he has to go explain to (DAP chairman Karpal Singh) Karpal or (DAP supremo Lim) Kit Siang, nor does the Kelantan MB have to seek (Pas president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang) Hadi's approval.
• Question: You have recently been critical of Najib's administration.
• Answer: Let me set the record straight here. Najib is a decent man who is trying his best under the most trying of circumstances. I think it was easier during my time to implement policies; now with a strong opposition and social media, everyone is an expert. One football team and 20 million coaches, me included.
• If we are critical, it is because we want him to succeed. If he is to succeed, he needs a good team of advisers and I'm not sure he has that. The policies and statements that come out do not seem to be well thought out. If I were him, I'd bring in fresh, intelligent, well-educated but politically-savvy advisers.
• He should clear his plate, so that he has thinking time, no need to hold on to so many portfolios and be bogged down by details.
• He must have the big picture but details are worked out by others. I think also, that there are many policies that are not well explained and the PR (public relations) has been disastrous, but there is still time to do it right. He has the experience and intelligence to make things right.
 

Petanda baru konflik air Selangor hampir selesai

 
1. Minggu depan, kerajaan Selangor akan bentangkan maklumat berkaitan penyelesaian menyeluruh penstrukturan industri air di bawah Seksyen 114 Akta Industri Perkhidmatan Air 2006 (WSIA 2006).
2. Butiran itu akan didedahkan kepada umum berdasarkan perjumpaan MB Selangor dengan Menteri Tenaga, Teknologi Hijau dan Air (KeTTHA).
3. Dalam pertemuan itu mereka berdua membincangkan butiran terperinci bagaimana kerajaan persekutuan mengguna pakai Seksyen 114 WSIA 2006 dan seterusnya membolehkan kerajaan negeri ‘campur tangan’ dalam syarikat- syarikat konsesi air di Selangor. Mereka juga telah meneliti perjanjian utama yang melibatkan  pembinaan Loji Rawatan Air Langat 2.
4. MB Selangor sebelum itu berkata penguatkuasaan WSIA akan mengurangkan kos mengambil alih aset empat syarikat konsesi air sebanyak RM2 bilion kepada RM7.65 bilion. Empat syarikat konsesi itu ialah Syarikat Bekalan Air Selangor (Syabas), Puncak Niaga Sdn Bhd (PNSB), Konsortium Abbas Sdn Bhd (Abbas) dan Syarikat Pengeluar Air Selangor Holdings Bhd (Splash).
5. Pada 26 Februari lepas, kerajaan Selangor dan Persekutuan telah menandatangani Memorandum Persefahaman (MoU) untuk penstrukturan semula industri air di negeri ini yang telah berlanjutan sejak 2008.
6. Melalui MoU itu, kerajaan negeri Selangor akan mengeluarkan kebenaran untuk merancang pembinaan Loji Rawatan Air Langat 2 dan Sistem Agihannya (LRAL2) berkuat kuasa 26 Februari lepas dan memastikan semua kebenaran berkaitan pembangunan projek LRAL2 diluluskan dalam tempoh 30 hari dari tarikh MoU ditandatangani.
7. Sebagai tambahan, kerajaan Persekutuan bersedia menyuntik dana untuk membantu kerajaan negeri mengambil alih syarikat-syarikat konsesi air dan seterusnya membenarkannya menguruskan perkhidmatan bekalan air di Selangor melalui sebuah syarikat milik kerajaan negeri.
8. Dalam pada itu, MB Selangor mengesahkan pihaknya menerima surat daripada KeTTHA berkenaan pembayaran dana tambahan RM2 bilion daripada kerajaan pusat kepada kerajaan negeri serta penerangan terma dan syarat penggunaan dana itu.
9. Orang ramai mungkin berpuashati dengan usaha itu bagi menamatkan kemelut air di Selangor yang dikatakan semakin meruncing sejak beberapa tahun lalu. Namun bagi syarikat konsesi air yang mengendalikan loji-loji rawatan di Selangor, Kuala Lumpur dan Wilayah Persekutuan, apakah terma dan syarat mereka bakal dipenuhi?
10. Apakah pembentangan minggu depan bakal mendebarkan mereka atau biasa-biasa saja kerana mereka sudah menjangkakan kerajaan Selangor tidak akan berganjak dari harga tawaran sebelum ini. Kini syarikat konsesi air sedang menunggu kebijaksanaan kerajaan Persekutuan menyelesaikan kemelut ini dalam tempoh terdekat.
11. Kerajaan Negeri Selangor sebelum ini telah mengeluarkan tawaran akhir untuk membeli empat syarikat konsesi air negeri itu pada jumlah RM9.65 bilion dalam satu surat tawaran yang dihantar kepada pengendali syarikat berkenaan.
12. Pada masa yang sama kerajaan Selangor akan membayar pulangan 12 peratus kepada keempat-empat syarikat pengendali air yang dikira sehingga 31 Disember 2012, tidak dikompaun dan dengan potongan bagi mana-mana pembayaran dividen yang terdahulu.
13. Tawaran itu juga menyatakan bahawa kerajaan Selangor melalui KDEB akan menyelesaikan semua hutang berkaitan air tertunggak oleh empat syarikat termasuk bon dan pinjaman komersial serta pinjaman kerajaan yang berkaitan.
14. MB Selangor bagaimanapun sedar syarikat pengendali terbabit tidak selesa dengan tawaran itu sambil mengesyorkan mereka membawa perkara itu ke timbangtara antarabangsa jika mahu menuntut jumlah wang yang lebih banyak lagi.
15. Seperti yang diduga, tiga syarikat konsesi air, Syabas, Puncak Niaga dan Splash menolak tawaran itu manakala ABASS menerima tawaran berkenaan. Puncak Niaga, mengulangi syarat-syaratnya termasuk pulangan terkompaun ekuiti sebanyak 15% setahun diambil sebagai pampasan kepada PNSB untuk kerugian pendapatan pada masa akan datang.
16. Puncak Niaga juga menunggu bayaran yang belum dijelaskan Syabas kepada PNSB untuk dijelaskan kepada syarikat induk kerana jumlah itu bagi perkhidmatan itu telah pun diberikan.
17. Di pihak Gamuda pula, syarikat itu mempunyai 40% kepentingan dalam Splash. Gamuda menjelaskan bahawa tawaran itu adalah lebih rendah daripada nilai aset bersih (NAB) dan “tidak munasabah untuk diterima oleh syarikat itu”.
18. Tawaran bersih itu adalah RM250.6 juta untuk Splash berbanding NAB Splash sehingga RM2.54 bilion setakat 31 Disember 2013 yang akan memberikan kerugian penjualan besar RM920 juta kepada syarikat. Tawaran RM250.6 juta itu adalah di bawah 10% daripada NAB Splash. Oleh itu, tawaran berkenaan tidak munasabah untuk diterima oleh syarikat itu.
19. Sementara itu, penganalisis kewangan berharap penstrukturan semula air di Selangor boleh diselesaikan pada kaedah “willing buy, willing sell” kerana ia merupakan pendekatan komersial yang praktikal dalam menyelesaikan masalah pengambilalihan.
20. Kaedah terbaik ialah, kerajaan Persekutuan perlu menambah lagi suntikan sejumlah dana tertentu selepas syarikat konsesi terbabit menjelaskan mereka tidak dapat menerima RM9.65bil tawaran pengambilalihan oleh Selangor kerana ia adalah terlalu rendah.
21. Bagi kerajaan Selangor, walaupun ada rizab kerajaan negeri yang agak besar, namun pada masa yang sama ia masih menanggung hutang kepada Syabas dengan jumlah berbilion ringgit juga kerana tunggakan bayaran air percuma yang belum dijelaskan.
22. Ini bererti kerajaan negeri sebenarnya tidak mampu membayar lebih daripada apa yang sudah ditawarkan kepada syarikat pengendali air yang sedia ada. Jika mampu sekalipun, kerajaan terpaksa bersikap `kedekut' kerana itulah sikap itulah yang paling kukuh bagi pemimpin untuk terus disenangi rakyat. 
23. Penggunaan undang-undang WASIA untuk memaksa syarikat konsesi air menjual aset mereka dikhuatiri akan mengusir pelabur dari ketiga-tiga negeri terbabit. Mana-mana pengambilalihan secara paksa akan memberi implikasi terhadap pemegang kontrak konsesi.
24. Selepas kebuntuan selama lima tahun yang mana enam tawaran ditolak, jika maklumat yang dibentangkan oleh kerajaan Selangor pada minggu depan masih tidak memuaskan, berkemungkinan Puncak Niaga Holdings Bhd dan Gamuda Bhd akan menyelesaikannya di peringkat timbang tara antarabangsa.